Rowing apparatus for life-boats



t e 6 h S m Du e h S 2 K G N E H O S R R (No Model.)

ROWING APPARATUS FOR LIFE BOATS.

No. 415,474. Patented Nov; 19, 1889.

15' HI IIII'IIIyIIIIIIII H I l/VVE/VTOR ATTORNEY WITNESSES flfgoo% N. PETERS. Phnlahlhognphar. Walhingtcm o. c.

2 K O N E H O S P. D

ROWING APPARATUS FOR LIFE BOATS.

Patented Nov. 19, 1889.

\llllilll'llllrl lll'l' l WITNESSES.

ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER F. SCHENCK, OF HIGHLANDS OF NAVESTNK, NE JERSEY.

ROWING APPARATUS FOR LIFE-BOATS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 415,474, dated November 19, 1889.

Application filed February 15, 1889. Serial No. 299,955. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER F. SCHENGK, of Highlands of Navesink, in the county of Monmouth and State of NewJersey, have invented a new and Improved Rowing Apparatus for Life-Saving Cars or Boats, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to a rowing apparatus adapted for use with closed life cars or boats, thus making them useful as self-propelling vessels, as well as crafts adapted to be drawn on and by ropes stretched between a wreck and the shore, and to which latter service closed life cars or boats have ordinarily been restricted.

The invention has for its object to provide a simple, easily-managed, and safe rowing apparatus applied to a life car o-r boat in a manner allowing the oars to be shipped or unshipped from within the boat, and allowing substitution of oars or parts broken by heavy weather or accident, and all without letting the boat till with water through the rowlocks.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and conjibinations of parts of the rowing apparatus, all as hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a life-saving car or boat with two pairs of oars applied in accordance with my invention and shown indifferent positions, or shipped and unshipped, in full and dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a side view of the boat and oars. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail vertical sectional view of the rowlock and appurtenances and a part of the side of the boat to which they are attached, and a longitudinal sectional elevation of the oar in shipped condition and ready for use when the outer elastic or yielding diaphragm of the apparatus is intact or unbroken. Fig. t is a sectional plan view with the oar-bearing cap removed, and illustrates how the inner diaphragm is adjusted to the oar and rowlock should the outer diaphragm be carried away. Fig. 5 a vertical sectional view showing the inner cap and plug adjusted to the rowlock and oar-arm should both diaphragms be carried away or should the oar be rendered irreparably useless by accident. Fig. 6 is a detail plan View of the rowlock and parts of the oar and hull of the boat, and Fig. 7 is a detail vertical sectional View of parts of the oar and outer diaphragm of the rowing apparatus.

The life-saving car or boat A to which my rowing apparatus is applied may have any ordinaryor approved construetion,that shown in Figs. land 2 of the drawings being preferred, and wherein the caror boat is a closed hull or structure having an upper outwardly-opening hatch to, a lowerinwardly-opening hatch, (not shown,) a series of dead-lights a at top and bottom, and a series of tubes a of special construction and incased in fenders or guards and admitting air to the interior of the boat, whether she rides on an even keel or bottom upward, the boat being perfectly water-tight in either position or in any position into which she may be thrown while in use.

All the above features of construction form no part of the present invention, which relates particularly to the rowlock and car fixtures or apparatus of the boat, and will be particularly described as follows:

The rowlock B of the apparatus is made in two halves or upper and lower parts, each preferably having a flange b, through which bolts or screws Z) are passed to hold the rowlock to the insideface of the boat-hull A, and screws or bolts b hold the lateral'ly-proj ectin g body portions of the rowlock securely together. The two parts of the rowlock are peculiarly recessed, so that when they are placed together there is formed inside the rowlock a spherical cavity 0, in which the metal ball-bearing (l of the oar I) fits loosely, an inner flaring cavity 0, which opens from the cavity a to the interior of the boat, and an outer flaring cavity which opens from the ball-cavity c outward, and is prolonged by a flaring opening a", made through the hull of the boat. These flaring cavities give play to the body of the oar as it is worked on the ball-bearing (I, which serves as a fulcrum within the rowlock-cavity c. The metal ball C is preferably hollow to secure lightness and tits fairly close into the cavity 0 to act in a measure as a valve, which will quite fully exclude water from the interior of the car or boat. Other provision for excluding water is made, however, and will be hereinafter explained'.

The oar D is peculiarly made in three main parts, a blade portion d, which operates in the water, a body portion d, which extends through the side of the hull A and the rowlock and is fitted into the ball fulcrum or bearing 0, and an arm port-ion (P, which extends inside the boat and is grasped for operating the oar. As shown most clearly in Figs. 3 and 5 of the drawings, the oar-body d is made hollow or tubular, and is preferably provided about at its center with a series of exterior screw-threads 0 onto which the ballbearing 0 is screwed tightly. The oar-blade portion dis hinged to the oar-body, preferably by a pin (1?, passed through the body at one side of its center, and through a tongue or tenon on the blade, whichfits into a correspondingly-shaped slot made in the body, the joint between the blade and body being otherwise a butt-ended connection. At its inner end the oar-blade portion d is bored and internally threaded to receive the outer vscrew-threaded extremity d of the elongated rod or stem portion (1 of the oar-arm d which fits easily within the tubular oar-body c l, and where this part (1 joins with the oararm a screw-threaded shoulder 01 is provided, which is adapted to screwinto interior threads formed in a counterbored recess .or

cavity made at d in the back or inner end of the oar-body. The screw-threads at d correspond in number and pitch with the screw-- threads at d; hence when the oar-arm stem d is pushed outward through the oar-body d and screwed at cl into the back end of the oar-blade portion d, and screwed at the same time at d into the inner end of the oar-body, the entire oar will be perfectly rigid as one substantial structure capable of resisting the blade the blade will'then be free to flex or bend inward on its pivot (Z or to ;unship itself alongside the boat when lowered to the water, and as shown .by the forward pair of oars in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, which also show the oar-stems extended or in shipped and rigidcondition ready for use.

The oars may be unshipped alongside the boat in a few moments by simply unscrewing their arms and lowering the blades to the water, and when the oars are to be shipped or extended for use again it is only necessary to turn the oar on its ball-bearing O in the rowlock B, to swing the flexed oar-blade upwardeither from the boatss stern or bow and until the blade strikes a convexed trip plate or piece E, fixed-to the boats hull above the rowlock, and the rounded edge of this tripplate will throw the oar-blade downward on its pivot (Z into alignment-with the oar-body,

whereupon the oar arm and stem will at once be screwed outward into the oar body and blade at d and d, and the oar is again rigid and ready for use. The oars may thus be quickly and automatically shipped or unshipped by persons confined in the boat and while the oar-blades are entirely beyond their reach;

I am not limited to the precise method of hinging the oar blade and body shown and above described; neither am I limited to providing screw-joints at opposite end portions d d? of the oar, as I may provide a screwjoi'nt only at d, where the blade connects with the oar-body, or only at (1 where the oar body and arm are joined. In fact, I am not limited to the use of screw-joints either at d or d of the oar-arm stem and arm with the blade and body of the oar, as simple straight or smooth close-fitting joints may be provided at one or both these places to cause the oar-arm stem and arm to rigidly align the oar blade and body, and any preferred form of latch device. may be used to lock the parts of the oar in these relative positions; but as the screw-threaded joints serve both as dowels and locks tothe parts of the ear and allow quick and easy shipping and unshipping of it they are at present preferred in practice, and are hereinafter specificallyclaimed.

To preventpassage of water through the rowlock into the life-saving car or boat, I rely mainlyupon elastic or yielding diaphragms, an outer one F and an inner one G, fitted around the oar and to the boat'around'its rowlock-openings, and should these diaphragms be carried away I rely, as a last resort to exclude water from the boat, upon a cap or shield H, fitted tightly, and preferably by a screw-joint, to the inner end and opening of the rowlock B,anda plug 1' set into theinner end of the oar-body after the oar-arm is removed therefrom. I will particularly describe these several safeguards in the order above named, as follows:

The outer diaphragm F (shown intact -in Fig. 3 and carried away in Fig. 4 ofthe drawings) is preferably made of pure rubber onequarter to one-half an inch thick, and is securedjt-o the boat-hull A around the flaring aperture a 0 in which the oar works, by means of a metal ring or flange-plate f, placed outside the diaphragm and screwed through it into the hull. At the center the diaphragm has an aperture which fits tightly upon an outwardly-tapering portion of the oar-body d behind the joint of the blade therewith,

and outside of the diaphragm a collar f is slipped, onto the oar-body and pinned fast or otherwise secured. This collar while on the diaphragm without injuring the latter, it being understood that the oar-body is to be unscrewed from and screwed again into the ball-bearing C of the rowlock, in substituting a good oar for a broken one, in the manner above explained. A screw C is fitted into the rowlock B and will be screwed in hard against the ball-bearing to,hold it steady while the oar-body is being unscrewed from and screwed again into the bearing, thus preventing slipping or rolling of the ball-bearing during the substitution of a good oar and avoidingloss of time, which in many instances would mean disaster to the boats crew or passengers. The good or new oar would be passed outward through the diaphragm-aperture until the collar f had passed outside the diaphragm, and the oars would then be in working condition, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

To secure the inner diaphragm G to the rowlock after adjusting it over and around the oar, the margin of the diaphragm is pressed into a rabbeted portion of the rowlock and over a screw-threaded collar h, formed thereon, and after a metal ring g is placed against the diaphragm to press it securely against a shoulder g on the rowlock an annular metal cap right-angular in cross section, will be pressed tightly by its outer end wall against the ring g, and the other wall of the cap which laps onto the body of the rowlock will be screwed firmly thereto to secure the diaphragm, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings. It is obvious that this inner diaphragm will effectually exclude from the boat any water which would find its way past the ball-bearing 0 through the rowlock, thus assuring the safety of the occupants of the closed boat.

Fig. *1 illustrates the car in working condition with the outer diaphram carried away ,and the inner diaphragm in place, as last above described.

I may apply both diaphragms to the hull and around the body of each oar when the life-boat is first fitted for service, and this may at times be preferable, as it would not require a stoppage of the boat or oar to adjust the inner diaphragm G to the oar should the outer one F be carried away. It will also be understood that the inner diaphragm may alone be used; but the use of both diaphragms is preferred in practice.

Should both diaphragms F G be carried away and the oar be disabled by accident, and should it be impossible, for lack of time or other reason, to substitute a new oar, the oararm (7' with its stem (Z will be quickly pulled inboard, and the closed cap II will be passed at its central screw-threaded aperture over the oar-arm, and will be screwed onto threads h on the arm an d simultaneously onto threads on the exterior of the rowlock-collar h,thereby preventing inflow of water to the boat through the rowlock, and the plug I will also be screwed into the threads (F at the inner end of the oar-arm to prevent inflow of water through the hollow arm. As little time can be given to adjust the cap H to the rowlock, should the inner diaphragm give way, this diaphragm will simply be cut or torn away around its fastenings g g to expose the screwthreads on the collar 71, to which the cap will be screwed, this adjustment of parts being shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

An extra supply of oar-blades, or all parts of the oar and inner diaphragms G and caps H and plugs I, will be carried on suitable racks orin lockers inside the life car or boat, to be conveniently at hand when required for use, as above described.

WVhether one or both of the diaphragms F or G be used with the oars, the latter maybe feathered or otherwise handled in use quite as freely and easily as the oars of ordinar 1 open boa-ts; hence it will be seen that by my system of rowing apparatus a closed life car or boat is not alone useful when slung, as usual, by ropes stretched between a wreck and the shore, but it is supplied with its own independent means of propulsion, thus making it doubly useful as a life-boat to be carried on shipboard, like the ordinary open lifeboats, over which it has many advantages as regards safety, as it is practically unsinkable, and may be propelled in any course, as circumstances may suggest or require.

7 Having thus described my invention, what 'I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a boat having an oar-opening and a flexible diaphragm fitted thereat, of an oar fulcrumed to the hull and passed through the diaphragm and made with a hinged blade, and a latch on the oar and operative within the boat and adapted to engage the blade to lock it rigidly in alignment with the oar-body, substantially as herein set forth.

2. The combination, with a boat having an oar-opening and a flexible diaphragm fitted thereat, of .an oar passed through the diaphragm and made with a tubular body, and a blade hinged thereto and having a screwthreaded inner end, said oar provided with an arm having a stem fitted loosely in the oar-body, and having a threaded outer end engaging the threaded recess of the oarblade, substantially as herein set forth.

3. The combination, with a boat having an oar-opening and a flexible diaphragm fitted thereat, of an oar passed through the diaphragm and made with a tubular body screwthreaded at its inner end, and a blade hinged to the body and having a recess next its hinge, said oar provided with an arm thread ed to the inner end of its body portion and having a stem passing through the body into the hinged blade, substantially as herein set forth.

4. The combination, with a boat having an oar-opening and a flexible diaphragm fitted thereat, of an oar passed through the dia- ITO phragm and made with a tubular body screwthreaded at its inner end, and a blade hinged to its body and screw-threaded next its hinge, said oar having an arm threaded to the inner end of its body portion and having a stem extending through the body and threaded into the hinged end of the oar-blade, substantially as herein set forth.

5. The combination, with a boat having an oar-opening and a flexible diaphragm fitted thereat, of an oar passed through the diaphragm and having a hinged blade and pro vided with a stem or latch operative inside the boat and adapted to lock the oar-blade in alignment with its body, and a trip board or plate on the boat over the oar and adapted to throw the unshipped oar outward and allow latching of it in shipped condition for use, substantially as herein set forth.

(3. The combination, with a boat having an oar-opening and rowloek and a flexible diaphragm fitted at said opening, of a ball-bearing in the rowlock provided with a transverse screw-threaded aperture, and an oar passed through the diaphragm and having exterior screw-threads adapted to the threaded ballbearing, substantially as herein set forth.

7. The combination, with a boat having an oar-opening, of an oar fulcrumed by a ballbearing and elastic or yielding diaphragms fitted to the car, one at each side of the ballbearing, and to the boat around its oar-opening, substantially as herein set forth.

8. The combination, with a boat having an oar-opening and rowlock, of a ball-bearing in the rowlock and having a transverse aperture,

, an oar fitted in said aperture, a flexible diaphragm fitted to the oar and to the boat, and a clamping device on the rowlock adapted to .bind the ball-bearing fast while adjusting an oar therein and through the diaphragm, substantially as herein set forth.

9. The combination, with a boat having an oar-opening, of an oar extending through said the oar and around said opening, the rowlock or oar-support made to receive a cap adapted also to the oar-body, substantially as described, whereby, should the oar be disabled, or should the diaphragm give way, the opening for the oar may be closed by a cap fitted to the oar and its support to prevent inflow of water to the boat, as herein set forth.

10. The combination, with a boat having an oar-opening, of a rowlock held thereat and provided with an inner screw-threaded collar or end, an oar fulcrumed to the rowloek and provided with exterior screw-threads on its body portion, and a flexible diaphragm fitted to the oar and boat, substantially as described, whereby, should the diaphragm break, a cap may be screwed onto the rowlock and oar to prevent inflow of water to the boat, as herein set forth.

11. The combination, with a boat having an oar-opening and an oar passed through said opening and provided with a tapering portion, of an elastic or yielding diaphragm held to the boat and fitted onto the tapering part of the oar, and a collar fitted to this part of the oar outside the diaphragm and having about the same diameter as the oar-body, substantially as herein set forth.

12. The combination, with a boat having an opening at, of a rowlock made in two flanged upper and lower parts having interior recessed portions 0 c 0 and secured inside the boat, a ball-bearing fitted in the recess 0, an oar fitted to the ball-bearing, and an elastic or yielding diaphragm fitted to the oar and to the boat around the opening a, substantially as herein set forth.

PETER F. SCHENCK. \Vitnesses:

EDGAR TIATE, HENRY L. GooDWIN. 

